Katen Kyōkotsu (Seireitou)
(Onryō) | gender = Female | height = 5'10" | weight = 149 lbs. | affiliation = Herself | occupation = | team = None | partner = | shikai = Katen Kyōkotsu | bankai = Situational }} Katen Kyōkotsu (花天狂骨, "Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness") is a stray female spirit. She was once the katana of , prior to his death.Bleach roleplay; The Sorcerers Gambit The sword had consisted of two separate entities, the original spirit that adorns the name of "Sakuranosuke"Bleach manga; Chapter 649, pages 4-5 (桜乃助, Sakuranosuke) and a younger spirit that was created by her to conceal the of the .Bleach manga; Chapter 650, page 17 When her master had died, the second spirit had passed away along with him, leaving the original entity known as Katen Kyōkotsu by her lonesome. With no partner to call her own, she was destined to roam the spiritual realm as a stray, a blade belonging to nobody but herself. Appearance Ohana manga.jpg|Sakuranosuke in the manga. Personality Ohana smirk.jpg|Katen Kyōkotsu's general expression. Ohana cruel.jpg|Katen Kyōkotsu responding to an annoyance. History Synopsis Powers & Abilities Possession: During the battle against , when Kyōraku was forced into a corner, Katen Kyōkotsu suggested that he retreat from the battlefield so as to preserve their lives. She requested that he allow her to take control so that she could take them both away, suggesting that she is capable of possessing her master in the same manner as .Bleach manga; Chapter 650, page 11 While serving as the of , her release state took the form of a two black and heavily-curved Chinese scimitars with silver edges. The crossguards are rectangular, with the corners cut off, decorated by a pattern of cherry petals and lines while each sporting a dark-blue handle.Bleach manga; Chapter 156, pages 13-14 Her power as Katen Kyōkotsu is to "make children's games real".Bleach manga; Chapter 374, pages 4-6 She is able to determine a set of rules in the form of a game and all those within the boundaries of her spiritual pressure are forced to abide by those rules. As such, it becomes possible for her abilities to take on all kinds of forms, even displaying different elemental affinities, leaving others to believe that Katen Kyōkotsu's power violates the standard for all Zanpakutō in that they all share one central power. The winner of the game lives and the loser dies, it's as simple as that, and due to her fickle nature, even her master is not exempt from the penalties that will result from losing the game. According to , her power can be summed up as one that dominates the flow of battle by forcing both her master and the opponent into a game of life and death. However, due to her temperamental personality, these powers only manifest in such a way depending on her preferences, with whatever game being in effect based on what she happens to be in the mood to play. Bushōgoma (不精独楽, "Lazy Spinning Top")Bleach manga; Chapter 362, pages 8-9 Takaoni (嶄鬼, "Mountain Demon")Bleach manga; Chapter 374, page 6 Kageoni (影鬼, "Shadow Demon")Bleach manga; Chapter 374, page 3''Bleach'' manga; Chapter 646, page 9 Irooni (色鬼, "Colorful Demon")Bleach manga; Chapter 374, page 12 Soraoni (空鬼, "Sky Demon") Daruma-san ga Koronda (だるまさん が ころんだ, "The Dharma Doll Fell Down")Bleach manga; Chapter 645, pages 5-7 Kageokuri (影送り, "Shadow Sending")Bleach manga; Chapter 645, pages 15-16 Perhaps unique only to her, Katen Kyōkotsu does not possess a single Bankai release. In the same manner as the games that she chooses with her Shikai powers, the Bankai manifests as a reflection of her emotional state of mind. There is no Zanpakutō with a Shikai and Bankai that wield completely unrelated abilities, and as such, Katen Kyōkotsu's powers in this state are of a similar nature to her previous release form. In simple terms, if her Shikai is one that makes that which children enjoy — games, in other words — a reality, then her Bankai power is to make real the sort of poetic activity that can only be appreciated by an adult: the theater. Katen Kyōkotsu's Bankai takes on the name of whatever theatrical play she intends to perform, subjecting both her master and the opponent to the progression of events in the story of that play, designated as "acts" (段目, danme; literally "stage"). Anyone within the vicinity of her power is subject to the play, making it extremely dangerous to use within range of innocent bystanders. What transpires to those in her play often depends on the story she has chosen, with any sort of circumstance being a possibility. Given that Katen Kyōkotsu has a fondness for tragedies, the final act of her plays typically end with either her master or her opponent dead.Bleach manga; Chapter 649, pages 9-12 Without question, she is truly a malicious yet elegant Zanpakutō spirit. Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū (花天狂骨枯松心中, "Bones of Heavenly Blooming Madness: Withering Pine Lovers' Suicide")Bleach manga; Chapter 648, page 14 Quotes * (To ) "You say you want to throw a party, but why have a party underneath a cherry tree that hasn't even blossomed yet? It seems to me you don't know how to appreciate the beauty of things."Bleach anime; Episode 264 * (To ) "Mean I may be, but I am your sword, your companion, choking back her own desires, sworn to be by your side until the end."Bleach manga; Chapter 649, page 7 * (To Kyōraku) "Would you want me to be anything less than what I am? When I stand before you for the last time?"Bleach roleplay; The Sorcerers Gambit * (To Kyōraku, in his final moments) "I enjoyed our game. It was fun, from start to finish. As I said when we first met, I will serve as your blade. Even when the world crumbles away, the skies turn black and the ground is naught but fire and ash... Until you can no longer stand. Beside you as you lay, softly down, I will be. Until your final words reach my ears, and the end of the game finally comes."Bleach roleplay; The Sorcerers Gambit References Behind the Scenes